Does the News Do Us Any Good?

Alain de Botton asks: what is it that we're really looking for when we watch or read the news - and is it doing us any good?

Over the last decade the amount of information available to us has exploded. Stories, reports, updates and media of all sorts come at us from every angle, every day.

And yet we still have a significant relationship with "The News" - seeking it out, and investing it with an importance and authority in our lives, despite the fact that it often leaves us feeling confused and powerless.

Influential public thinker Alain de Botton turns his philosophical lens to The News, examines the peculiar position it holds in our lives - and offers counsel on the precautions we should take before venturing anywhere near it and the "noise" it generates.